This week's photos are interesting ones. The title of the card is,
"Chagres River when in flood passing under Gamboa Bridge".
This appears to be an aftermath of a flood as the water seems to be receding.
The area that the men are walking on is the dike that held back the water
of the lake from getting into Culebra Cut during the dry excavation days.
The track used by dirt trains has been washed out. But, the most
interesting thing about this photo is there are two Gamboa bridges!!
I have seen a couple photos showing both bridges, but this is the
first colorized post card I have seen. The bridge that is higher
from the river's surface is the Gamboa bridge that still stands
today. The other lower trestle was built by the French in
1888. Photo
from the collection of CZ Images contributor Vicente Pascual

Excerpt
and photo from
the book "Rails to the Diggings", by Charles Small (below):

"To keep the Obispo River out of the excavation, from Emperador north, the French built a diversion channel,
which extended past Las Cascadas on the eastbank. For this construction they built a railroad line,
independent of the P.R.R., and extended it to
Gamboa. Their second lock canal design required a diversion of the P.R.R.
to the east bank at a high level. Therefore, in 1888, they bridged the
river for this relocation but did not work beyond the end of the bridge.

This bridge could not be used by the Americans because it
was in the path of their canal and at too low an elevation. The French bridge was removed and a new
bridge built at a higher elevation. This bridge was completed during July
1908. The original dyke, built to keep the Chagres out of the Culebra cut,
was used as the northern exit for the dirt trains which proceeded north to
the dumping grounds. As the excavation deepened, and the dyke was raised,
the grades on these exit tracks became too steep. The dyke track was
extended on a 1V2 grade to the level of the relocated P.R.R. New entrance
and exit tracks were provided from the relocated P.R.R. into the cut on a
2V2 grade. These connections were combined in the Tower R interlockingplant
early in 1912."

Gamboa looking south circa mid 1907. No. 3 is an ex P.R.R. 0-4-OST of
the 1880s. The bridge was built by the French and completed in
April 1888. Because this bridge was at a low level a new bridge will be
built. The work of pouring the concrete piers is in progress behind the
French bridge. On the right side of the hill in the background is the
old French construction line to Emperador. PCC 2019

Another
historical tid-bit from our home. Long live the memory of the
Canal Zone.